What is the Veterans Choice Program?
The Veterans Choice Program is part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA). If you are a veteran and you are already enrolled in VA health care you are eligible. The Choice Program allows you to get health care from non-VA doctors. Using this program does NOT impact your existing VA health care, or any other VA benefit.
What are the Veterans Choice Program Eligibility Details?
A Veteran must have been enrolled in VA health care on or before August 1, 2014. Or otherwise be eligible to enroll as a recently discharged combat Veteran within 5 years of separation. Additionally, a Veteran must also meet at least one of the following criteria.
a) The Veteran is told by his/her local VA medical facility that he/she will need to wait more than 30 days for an appointment from the date clinically determined* by his/her physician or, if no such date is provided, the Veteran’s preferred date.
*The clinically indicated date is the date a Veterans and his/her medical provider agree should be the next date he/she is seen for care. If the VA medical facility is unable to schedule an appointment up to 30 days from that date the Veteran may be eligible for the Veterans Choice Program.
Veterans Residence And The Choice Program
b) The Veteran’s current residence is more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA health care facility.
c) The Veteran resides in a location other than Guam, American Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines. And in addition, the veteran needs to travel by air, boat, or ferry to the VA medical facility closest to his/her home.
d) The Veteran faces an unusual or excessive burden in traveling to a VA medical facility based on geographic challenges, environmental factors, or a medical condition. Staff at the Veteran’s local VA medical facility will work with him/ her to determine if he/ she is eligible for any of these reasons.
e) The Veteran resides in a State or the United States Territory without a full-service VA medical facility that provides hospital care, emergency services and surgical care having a surgical complexity of standard, and resides more than 20 miles from such a VA facility. NOTE: This criterion applies to Veterans residing in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also, note that some Veterans in New Hampshire reside within 20 miles of White River Junction VAMC and are therefore not eligible for the Choice Program.
How To Verify Eligibility
To verify eligibility, Veterans must call the Choice Program call center at 866-606-8198
Visit this website for additional information: http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/
This article is for educational and marketing purposes only. Consequently, it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Cameron Firm PC has certified Veteran Appeals Lawyers on staff who will fight with you to secure the benefits you deserve. We understand the sacrifices you have made. So for legal help with any denied VA claims, please call our office at 800-861-7262 for a free consultation.
